John Mayberry Jr., affectionately referred to as Big John or Junior by his teammates is a 27 year old Major League Baseball player with the Philadelphia Phillies. As of August 30, 2011, he is batting .264 with 12 HR and 41 RBI. He is 6-6, 230 lbs. Junior is a native of Kansas City, Missouri and attended Stanford. He has 2 years Major League experience all with the Phillies. In 2011 Mayberry was called up to the Phillies. He stayed for a few months before being demoted back to AAA. Mayberry received a second chance and hasn't looked back since. He really has been a breath of fresh air for the Phillies who were in desperate need for a right handed power bat once Jayson Werth left. Thinking they had that in top prospect Domonic Brown, the Phillies chose to keep Mayberry as a bench player. After Mayberry's demotion, the Phillies continued to look at Brown who seemed to struggle. As a result, the Phillies acquired Hunter Pence to sure up their outfield. Mayberry Jr. received a second chance to rejoin the bench when Brown was optioned back to AAA. Since then he has been explosive. At one point Mayberry had recorded 18 extra base hit in 25 ABs. He was on a tear and continues to be effective. Currently he platoons in RF with Raul Ibanez.
Mayberry may just be the right handed bat the Phillies were looking for and with Ibanez aging, it seems that he is the Phillies guy for the future. Mayberry who is a rookie this year is not the best defensive outfielder. He has a good arm but not great. He has some speed but is not the fastest guy. In most categories he would be considered slightly above average but where he excels and the reason why the Phillies have kept him is his bat. He has great power against lefties and is good off the bench or in the lineup. He is a great addition to the Phillies who look to once again return to the World Series.
"Big John" Isner is a 26 year old 6-9, 245 lb, tennis pro. He is a member of the USTA (United States Tennis Assoc.) and has been participating in the world tennis circuit since turning pro in 2007. He has risen from a mediocre player to now being ranked number 22 in the world and is one of the top three American tennis players, behind Mardy Fish and Andy Roddick. Isner is a native of Greensboro, North Carolina and attended the University of Georgia where he played four years of college tennis. Just like how Mayberry is a breath of fresh air for the Phils, Isner is the same for the USTA. Isner, although 26, leads a young crop of American tennis players that have been carefully developed to help put United States tennis back on the map. Along with Fish and Roddick, Isner has become part of the face of the USTA with his recent success having a pivotal role in the winning direction U.S. tennis hopes to return to. Isner is 28-18 on the year, having won two singles titles. He is still in search of his first grand slam, which coming into this year's US Open, he looks to have a strong chance to at least make the quarters. Even if he doesn't win a grand slam, Isner has cemented his place in history by being the winner of the longest match ever which spanned over the course of two days, went five sets and ended in him winning the final set by a score of 70-68 at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships.
Like Mayberry, Isner's bread and butter is his power which he gets from a serve that reaches up to 140mph+ on the gun, averages approximately 120mph+ on first serves and 100mph+ on second serves. His serve is considered by many tennis analysts to currently be the most powerful serve in the world. Like Mayberry, Isner is not the fastest or most fit guy on the tour but unlike Mayberry his height can serve as a hindrance. Isner does not have the best net play and he isn't the best when it comes to cross court rallies. He has a pretty good forehand but his backhand is what sometimes gets him in trouble. Just like how Mayberry's defense isn't the best, Isner's serve return is what he needs to most improve on. Many believe that with his serve being as good as it is, that if he can improve his return game and cut back on the unforced errors, then he would be a legitimate contender to win a major.
So two guys, two different sports. Mayberry plays a team sport where his performance aids his teammates while Isner plays a sport where it is all about how individuals succeed. Both men have similarities in reliance on power to make a living and both are proving to be good athletes. Although Mayberry spent a good amount of time in the minor leagues and Isner has only really tasted success recently, both seem to have nowhere to go but up. Both are still young enough to improve and really are in the prime of their careers. I look for both "Big Johns" to have a lot of career success before all is said and done.
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